Atascadero teen breaks her back in a crash on Cuesta Grade

June 23, 2017

A 19-year-old Atascadero woman suffered a broken vertebra on Thursday after the pickup truck in which she was traveling in slammed into the back of a big rig on the Cuesta Grade. [KSBY]

At approximately 7:30 a.m., a 20-year-old Santa Margarita man was reportedly driving a pickup truck southbound on Highway 101 north of Old Stage Coach Road at speeds of about 85 mph. The Atascadero woman was a passenger in the pickup.

The semi-truck in front of it was traveling about 25 to 30 mph.

For an unknown reason, the pickup hit the back of the big rig, causing the smaller truck to spin out of control and crash into a guardrail. Emergency responders then arrived at the scene and transported the injured teen to the hospital.

The injuries suffered by the drivers of both the pickup and the big rig have not been disclosed. The driver of the big rig likewise went to the hospital.

CHP officials say DUI is not suspected in the crash. But, an investigation is ongoing and charges could be requested.

8 Comments

It’s obvious what happened. The driver was playing NASCAR, downhill, during peak commute into slo, 7:30 am. The 1 and 2 lanes are full and people stay out of the even slower #3 truck lane. He saw an opportunity to accelerate into the #3 lane between trucks and then cut somebody off and make them step on their brakes after moving up one or two cars in the #2 lane. We’ve all seen irresponsible, reckless drivers on the grade that use the truck lane as a passing lane. And we’ve seen the accidents, usually just makes a lot of people late for work or getting home from work.

I’ve been driving a lot lately on our local highways and I am appalled at what I see everyday. People driving as if they are in a video car race game. I believe some of them feel if they crash the car will flip over and the game will reset and they can go on about their way.
People traveling at 85 MPH and above should not only be ticketed, they should be arrested for reckless driving.